JAMA Article reports CAH quality concerns
The Journal of the America Medical Association (JAMA) released a report on July 5, 2011 entitled “Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes in Critical Access Rural Hospitals” which concluded that compared with non-Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), CAH’s had fewer clinical capabilities, worse measured process of care, and higher mortality rates for patients with AMI, CHF or Pneumonia. “The report is simply deficient when it comes to understanding the basic role of a Critical Access Hospital within a rural community,” said Alan Morgan, NRHA CEO. “The current quality measurement systems available do not adequately reflect the core work of what rural hospitals do on a daily basis.”